The Importance of a "Neutral" Category in Research on Sex Stereotypes.

Gold, Alice Ross; And Others

The benefits of including a neutral category in research on children's sex stereotypes were explored in this research on 236 third, fifth and eighth graders' stereotypes of peers and adults. Stories describing 26 stereotyped traits were given to students to judge as more characteristic of males than females, more characteristic of females than males, or equally characteristic of both sexes. The result showed that the "same" or neutral category was useful in clarifying the substance of the stereotypes; many adjectives previously designated as descriptors of one sex were more frequently described as the "same" for both sexes. In addition, the greater stereotyping by male respondents, the higher degree of stereotyping of peer over adult stimulus objects, and the curvilinear relationship of grade of respondent and stereotyping (fifth graders gave more stereotyped responses) could be explained through reference to the use of the neutral category. Results appeared to support a cognitive developmental point of view and to question the ideas of linear age increases in stereotyping behavior as formulated by social learning theorists. (Author/MP)